Bucket and cord

ABSTRACT

A bucket and cord combination comprising a cylindrical bucket having a predetermined diameter and height for storing an elongated flexible cord therein between an inner cylindrical surface of the bucket and an outer curved surface of an axial insert received in the bucket and forming therewith an annular space for the storage of the cord, the insert having a vertical height equal to or less than the height of the bucket and having a diameter less than the diameter of the bucket, the bucket having a substantially flat circular bottom with a hole therein whose diameter is less than the diameter of the bucket, the bottom of the insert being provided with a flat shoulder extending horizontally outward from the periphery of the insert to the inner periphery of the bucket and spaced from the bottom of the bucket so as to form therewith a doughnut shaped space for storage therein of one terminal end of the cord, the other end of the cord extending from the lower terminal end thereof through a hole in the flat horizontal circular member up into the annular area between the insert and the bucket for storage of the majority of the length of the cord therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a storage device (bucket) for anelongated cable, such as an electrical extension cord, including acontainer and lid that allow for easy storage while providing protectionto and preventing entanglements of the extension cord.

2. Prior Art

Extension cords are essential accessories for residential, industrialand commercial use of electrical items. They free electrical devicesfrom the requirement of only being operated within a relatively shortdistance of five or six feet from a power source. Extension cords, thus,permit the use of such electrical devices at distances of twenty-five,fifty or even more feet away from the power source. Electricians orother workers who use electrical extension cords in lengths oftwenty-five feet, fifty feet or other substantial lengths understand thedifficulty and inconvenience of unwinding the cord in use and alsorewinding the cord for storage purposes because such cords are difficultto keep under control. The receptacle ends of the cords become easilyentangled within the length of the cord itself. In some instancesworkers have become so frustrated with tangled cords that they havesimply thrown them away rather than take the time to untangle the cord.

Whether the cord becomes tangled or not, workers spend a considerableamount of time unwinding and rewinding the cords. In addition, workershave no convenient place to store the cords either on the job site or intheir truck/vehicles.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,955 shows a storage device for an electricalextension cord having a male end and a female end. The storage deviceincludes a cylindrical container which could be broadly described as abucket, the cord being wound inside the bucket.

Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,878 shows a bucket where a cord can be woundpartially inside of the bucket.

Listenberger U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,457 shows a bucket where the cord iswound in spiral fashion inside the bucket.

Cannon U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,067 shows a cord and bucket combinationreferred to as a “cord caddy” wherein the cord is partially wound on theoutside of the bucket and partially on the inside of the bucket.

Douglas U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,685 shows a cord and bucket combinationwherein the bucket is provided with a central cylindrical device andwherein the cord is wound inside the bucket in the annular space betweenthe cylindrical cord and the bucket itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a bucket and cord combination wherein thebucket is provided with an insert having a central axial member which,considered in light of the interior cylindrical shape of the bucket,provides an annular space wherein the cord is stored. The insert neednot be exactly cylindrical but can be provided with a slight taper asshown. The bottom of the insert connects with a flat circular platewhich is disposed above the bottom of the bucket in parallel relationthereto. The bucket has a central hole in the bottom. The circular plateat the bottom of the insert, considered in light of the bottom of thebucket with the hole therein provides a doughnut shaped space in whichthe coil or pig tail end of the cord may be stored while the remainderof the cord is stored above the plate in the annular space between theinsert and the bucket.

For the purpose of providing a convenient location for an electricaltool, for example, an electrical drill, the side of the insert isprovided with a slot from which the end of the tool may protrude intothe annular space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of all of the parts which comprise the bucketand cord.

FIG. 2 is a transverse view of the top of the insert looking alongviewing line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse view of the top of the bucket looking alongviewing line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of all of the components shown in FIG.1 except for the lid, with the elements being associated in their normalconditions of use.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view taken along section line 5-5 ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a transverse view taken along viewing line 6-6 of FIG. 4showing the cord wound up inside of the bucket in the annular spacebetween the insert and the bucket itself.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the insert itself.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the bucket in section showing the cordloosely wound around the insert in the annular space between the insertand the bucket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a bucket 10 preferably made of plastic and about one footin diameter or slightly less and approximately eighteen to twenty incheshigh. The bucket 10 is used to store an elongated cable, such as anelectrical cord 12, which in this case, is approximately fifty feet inlength. When the cord 12 is stored in the bucket 10, a lid 14 may beused to cover the top of the bucket.

In order to provide an ease of storing of the cord 12 in the bucket 10,a tapered conical insert 16 is fitted into the bucket so as to providean annular space 18 into which the majority of the cord 12 may be coiled(see now FIG. 4). Actually, the insert 16 can be cylindrical or it canbe provided with a slight taper as shown. The lower end of the insert 16is provided with a horizontal circular shoulder (plate) 20 to which isattached a short cylindrical skirt 22 which is adapted to fit againstthe bottom inside of the bucket 10 when the insert 16 is fitted all theway in, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The bottom of the bucket 10 isprovided with a hole 24 which, in combination with the shoulder 20 andskirt 22 provide a doughnut shaped space 26 in which the lower end, orpig tail 28, of the cord may be coiled. The circular shoulder 20 isprovided with a hole 30 through which the cord 12 passes, the majorityof the cord 12 being coiled in the annular space between the insert 16and the bucket 10 and the remainder or pig tail section 28 being coiledin the doughnut shaped section 26.

In order to move the bucket conveniently from one location to another, abail or handle 36 is provided. Generally, when one is wanting to use thecord 12 in the bucket 10, the latter is moved through the use of thehandle 36 and transported to a place where the bucket 10 is allowed torest on its side as shown in FIG. 8. The pig tail 28 can be connected toan electrical slot and the portion of the cord 12 which is stored in theannular space 28 can be paid out of the bucket by merely pulling lightlyon the cord 12 as it unwinds from the insert 16.

In order to permit storage of a tool such as a drill 32 (shown in FIG.4) the main body of the insert 16 is provided with a U-shaped slot 34which permits the drill 32 to be carried in the interior of the insert16 with the nose of the drill projecting out through the slot 34.

Although this disclosure refers to a cable broadly and to an electricalextension cord 12 specifically, other types of cables can be employed inthis bucket & cable combination; for example, the cable referred toherein can be a water hose or an hydraulic (air) hose. The bucket 10,which has been described as being made of plastic material is preferablymade of polypropylene.

1. A cylindrical bucket having a predetermined diameter and height forstoring an elongated flexible cable therein between an inner cylindricalsurface of the bucket and an outer curved surface of an axial insertreceived in the bucket and forming therewith an annular space for thestorage of the cable, the insert having a vertical height equal to orless than the height of the bucket and having a diameter less than thediameter of the bucket, the bucket having a substantially flat circularbottom with a hole therein whose diameter is less than the diameter ofthe bucket, the lower end of the insert being provided with a flatshoulder extending horizontally outward from the periphery of the insertto the inner periphery of the bucket and spaced from the bottom of thebucket so as to form therewith a doughnut shaped space for storagetherein of one terminal end of the cable, the other end of the cableextending from the lower terminal end thereof through a hole in the flathorizontal circular member up into the annular area between the insertand the bucket for storage of the majority of the length of the cabletherein.
 2. A bucket and cable as set forth in claim 1 wherein the outersurface of the insert is tapered convergingly upwardly as to form asubstantially conical surface.
 3. A bucket and cable combination as setforth in claim 2 wherein the conical surface is provided with a slot toaccommodate the end of a tool in the interior of the insert.
 4. A bucketand cable combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cable is anelectrical extension cord.
 5. A bucket and cable combination as setforth in claim 1 wherein the cable is a water hose.
 6. A bucket andcable combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cable is an airhose.